


Shots on Goal

by Denois



Series: Drabblefest 2018 [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, Bedsharing, Fictober, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and stuff, Getting Together, M/M, Nursey POV, Pining, on purpose cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-25 19:54:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 7,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16204547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denois/pseuds/Denois
Summary: Drabble fills for Fictober 2018Featuring NurseyDex from Nursey's POV.





	1. “Can you feel this?”

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing for Jotober and realized that all my fills were from Dex's POV. So I decided I'd also do Fictober and write those from Nursey's POV.
> 
>  
> 
> [Fictober comes from this post.](http://aliyamirat.tumblr.com/post/178617762731/barbex-a-list-of-prompts-for-october-write)

“Can you feel this?” Dex’s voice was soft, right behind his ear.

Nursey swallowed and focused on his hands before nodding.

“You need to apply gentle pressure there to smooth it out. Not too much or you’ll make it all collapse.” Dex’s fingers pressed slightly firmer against his own.

When Dex asked if he wanted to throw clay with him, Nursey had expected something else. Shooting skeet maybe, possibly some sort of fight club. 

He had not expected to be sitting in a room in the art building all but recreating the scene from Ghost. 

Which he needed to not think about because it was already difficult enough to concentrate with Dex’s body pressed up against his back.

“Didn’t take you for the pottery type, Poindexter.”

Dex’s laugh ruffled Nursey’s hair and brought up goosebumps on his neck. 

“It’s ok. I prefer wood turning, actually. But that involves sharp implements and I thought this would be a bit safer for you. Just keep your clothes away from the wheel."


	2. “People like you have no imagination.”

“People like you have no imagination.”

Dex’s words made Nursey freeze halfway through a word, ink spreading before he revived enough to lift the nib of his pen.

“People like me?” Nursey spoke slowly, wondering exactly where Dex was planning on taking this.

“Poets. Writers. English major types. Wordy people.” Dex moved his hand as if to encompass all of Nursey that made him a lover of the written, or spoken, word.

Nursey set his notebook and pen down to focus more intently. “And how, exactly, do writers and poets have no imagination?”

Dex shrugged and turned back towards the sunset that a moment ago had inspired Nursey to pull out his notebook and pen. “You think poetry has to have words. Words are a cage, they box you in.”

Nursey studied Dex’s profile for a long moment.

“No. I’ve seen poetry that wasn’t words. The words just help me to remember it.”


	3. “How can I trust you?”

“How can I trust you?”

Nursey was affronted. “First of all, rude. Second of all, what do you mean you don’t trust me?”

Dex slid his eyes sideways to look at Nursey without turning away from his homework. “You have no concept of money and the actual costs of things. And you have a history of trying to buy me things and claim that they weren’t actually bought or weren’t actually for me.” 

Dex finally turned his head to look directly at Nursey. “So, how can I trust you to stick to an arranged maximum gift value?”

Nursey stared back at him, closing out browser window after browser window of tools and workbenches. “I can’t believe you’d accuse me of such a thing. I’m hurt, Poindexter. You wound me.”


	4. “Will that be all?”

“Will that be all?”

Nursey looked up from the Claude McKay poem that he was notating. “Hmm?”

“If I visit you in New York City. You said you’d, quote, ‘take me on the real NYC experience’. Is that all?” Dex hadn’t looked up from his own homework while talking, so Nursey couldn’t glean any hints about what answer he was looking for.

Nursey cleared his throat and answered hesitantly, “I mean, if you want to do some of the cliche touristy things we could. Or anything else you want to really. Just say the word.”

He really shouldn’t be thinking about kissing Dex on the top deck of the Empire State Building. Or in Central Park. Or after a Broadway show. Or in Times Square. He closed his eyes tightly and took several deep breaths.

“Ok. But no fancy parties with your parents’ rich friends. I don’t have shit to wear for that.” 

Dex was tapping his pencil against his bottom lip and Nursey was about to melt. He made a note on the margins of his work to find a way to trick Dex into a bespoke tailor shop while he was down.


	5. “Take what you need.”

“Take what you need.”

Nursey looked up from inspecting the clothes in his suitcase to see Dex waving towards his open suitcase and garment bag.

“I always bring extra clothes. Just in case, you know.” Dex cleared this throat and looked away. “So, take what you need. I’m going to do some homework for a bit if that’s ok.”

Nursey looked down at his clothes covered in goo from one of his toiletry bottles (he suspected the shampoo from the color) then back over towards Dex’s suitcase. They were the same height and weight, so even with the variance in build, the clothes should fit him fine. 

He didn’t move. It’s just, Dex hates loaning his clothes. He was really protective of them for some reason. But here he was, offering Nursey free reign for everything from dress slacks to sweats to boxers. He should not think about Dex’s boxers right now.

Dex snorted from the bed behind him. “Or sleep naked. Whatever. But I don’t think that will fly as a game day suit.”

Dex was literally trying to kill him. With kindness and dirty jokes. One two punch. He moved over to Dex’s suitcase and looked through the clothes carefully. The key was to pick ones Dex wouldn’t kill him for if he spilled something on them, while also being ones Dex wore often enough to still hold his scent.


	6. “I heard enough, this ends now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, this one is nearly 400 words.

“I heard enough, this ends now.”

Nursey froze at the words like icy water had poured down his back. The last time he’d heard those words in that tone had been when he was bickering with his sister. He didn’t even know that Dex had a Dad Voice.

Dex, who was stepping between him and the salesperson, continued in the same tone, “You took one look at him and thought you had it figured. He told you that he needed the computer for vlogging, music, and writing, but you’re showing him rigs that are powerful even for full immersion gaming and are five times the price of the ones he needs. We’re done here.”

Nursey followed Dex dazedly as he stormed out of the store. 

“Dex, I still need to get a computer.”

“Yeah, well, you asked me to come to make sure you got what you needed. But unless you are planning on running CAD programs, mining for Bitcoin, which don’t, seriously, or helping SETI, and really not even then, you don’t need the machines that guy was trying to foist on you.” Dex stopped and ran a hand over his face. “If you really want that kind of processing power and memory, and all the peripherals, I can build that machine for less than half the price. That one in there, you’re just paying for the logo.”

“You can build a computer?”

Dex pulled back slightly and shrugged. “I mean. Yeah. I’ve built them before.”

“You’d build a computer for me?” Nursey couldn’t help the disbelief in his voice.

“Well, sure. It’s about the only way I’ll get to build my dream machine anyway.” Dex flashed a quick smile and turned back toward the parking lot.

“Ok. Do it. Tell me what to get and you can build my computer for me. On one condition. You show me how.” Nursey fixed a placid chill expression on his face to keep from betraying his plan to double the purchase.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Nurse?”


	7. “No worries, we still have time.”

“No worries, we still have time.”

Nursey looked at Dex suspiciously. He tried to calculate the odds that Dex had been replaced by an alien shapeshifter, perhaps a member of the fae. Nursey just couldn’t remember Dex ever saying “no worries”, much less when Nursey was the one delaying them. 

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain the comedy of errors that occurred between his class running late, a flash mob on Lake Quad, and everything else that meant he’d arrived 30 minutes later than expected. But he closed it again as he saw Dex squeeze his eyes shut and noticed that his breathing was significantly deeper and more measured than normal. As though he was counting out his breaths.

Nursey moved closer, letting his bag slip down his arm. Carefully, he placed a hand on Dex’s arm and squeezed. “Hey, nothing, _nothing_ , was going to keep me from our date tonight. I can’t promise I’ll always be on time, but I will always show up. For you.”


	8. “I know you do.”

“I know you do.” 

“I most certainly do not. Why would I lie?” Nursey opened his eyes wide and tried his best to look innocent.

Dex lifted his eyebrows in response. “You realize that I can see the sleeve of my flannel sticking out from under your pillow, right?”

Nursey breathed in slowly and resisted the urge to check if it was true. Dex was bluffing and he wasn’t going to give it away. He was a far better poker player than any of the team. 

Dex rolled his eyes and stomped over, reaching down and pulling his flannel out from where Nursey’d shoved it. Dex flicked it out a few times before pulling it on. 

Nursey knew he should apologize, at least for the lying, if not the stealing of clothes. But just then he was having a hard time meeting Dex’s gaze, so he laid back on his bed and stared at the slats above him, feigning chill while he listened to Dex stomp back and forth across the room to finish getting ready. 

For whatever it was. He said it wasn’t a date. No one believed him. 

The footsteps finally went to the door and he heard it open. He closed his eyes and waited for the door to shut again, leaving him alone. 

Instead, something soft landed on top of his face.

“Next time, just ask, asshole.”

The door clicked shut and Nursey sat up to see what had been thrown at him.

He pulled on Dex’s favorite blue flannel and smiled.


	9. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

“You shouldn’t have come here.” Dex’s hand darted out to steady another pitcher before it fell after Nursey knocked into a display table.

Nursey looked at him incredulously. “I had to come, Dexy. If I left it to you, we’d end up with some cheap plastic stuff or something. I want Haus 4.0 to have nice dishes. We are adults. We might have work friends. We could host dinner parties.”

Dex snorted and rolled his eyes. “Weren’t you eating captain crunch out of a mason jar thirty minutes ago?”

Nursey shrugged and moved to look at the next display. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

Dex sighed. “And don’t think that just because you’re here that you get to increase the budget for decorating the Frog Pad.”

“Haus 4.0, Dexy. It can’t be the Frog Pad unless Chowder’s there, too. And don’t worry about the budget.” Nursey stopped and gasped. “Yes!”

Dex didn’t respond for a few seconds, giving Nursey a valuable head start towards the best dishes he’d ever seen in his life.

“No! Absolutely not! No crustaceans on the dinnerware! Or any of the decorations!”


	10. “You think this troubles me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally drabbled too much again.

“You think this troubles me?”

Nursey shrugged, then realized that Dex wouldn’t see it in the dark.

“Sometimes straight guys get weird about sharing a bed with another guy.”

Dex didn’t say anything and Nursey figured that he’d managed to make it awkward by bringing Dex’s attention to the situation. 

“We can put some pillows in the middle if you want. I don’t think I’m a sleep cuddler, but whatever makes you comfortable, Dexter.”

“Go to sleep, Nurse.”

Nursey rolled over to face the wall and let himself relax. He tried not to sleep because he was afraid he’d end up being a clingy sleeper. 

A long time later, after he thought Dex had fallen asleep, he thought he heard a muttered, “I’m bi.” But he dismissed the thought as a dream.

When Nursey woke up, he was very clear on the fact that he’d moved in his sleep, against his intentions, because he was laying flat on his back.

He was also clear that he was being held down by half of Dex, with an arm around his waist, Dex’s head on his chest and a leg pinning his own legs. He looked around wildly, wondering how to extricate himself from the cephalopod that Dex had turned into while sleeping, preferably before Dex woke up and freaked out. 

Unfortunately, he was too late. Dex wrapped his arm around Nursey tighter and pressed his face into Nursey’s chest. “Stop moving. ‘M trying to sleep.” His voice was thick with sleep and it was really unfair.

Nursey blinked and tried to look down at him. “Uh, Dex. Do you know what you’re doing?”

“‘M sleeping.”

“You’re pinning me down.”

Dex stilled and Nursey figured that the freak out what imminent. Dex started pulling away and Nursey’s body tried to follow without consulting him. 

“Sorry. You’re right. Nonconsensual cuddles is not swawesome. Just thought… you know, the way you talked… maybe you didn’t mind.  
‘M sorry.”

Nursey grabbed Dex’s wrist before he turned all the way over. “I mean, I don’t mind cuddles if you don’t. I just didn’t think you would.”

“Never said I wasn’t a cuddler. Never said I was straight either.” Dex opened his eyes a crack and looked at Nursey, his familiar grumpy look on his face. Nursey pulled gently on his arm until he curled back into place. 

“Can I kiss you-“

The last word was cut short as Dex pressed his lips to Nursey’s with a speed that Nursey wouldn’t have ever expected from someone half asleep. After a few tender moments, Dex pulled back with a beatific smile and nuzzled his face against Nursey’s neck.

“Thought you’d never ask.”


	11. “But I will never forget!”

“But I will never forget!”

Dex’s voice rang through the Haus, punctuated by the slamming door. His footsteps stomped down the hall until he appeared in the doorway. Nursey watched as the tension slipped from his shoulders and his face smoothed. 

Dex put the pizza boxes he was holding on the coffee table and then turned to leave again. “I’ve gotta book it to Murder Stop n Shop. They forgot your red pepper flakes, even though I specifically mentioned it when I ordered. Won’t take long. Start the movie without me.” 

Nursey breathed out a laugh. “Dex, stop. I can live without the peppers. And I’m not starting our date without you. Unless you’re just looking for an excuse to run out on me?” Nursey raised his eyebrows and watched as Dex flushed red and spluttered.

“Of course not. I just want it to be nice.”

“It will be. If you sit down and let me cuddle with you.”

Dex blinked at Nursey for a few moments and Nursey held his breath. Finally, Dex moved over and sat down, much closer than normal and in perfect cuddle range.


	12. “Who could do this?”

“Who could do this?”

Nursey looked from Dex to the item in question and back. 

“You could. Right?”

“You think I broke the handle on the Edwardian smoking cabinet that you’ve been using as a night stand? That thing is worth more than my life. I wouldn’t touch it.” Dex was looking at him in horror. 

Nursey raised his hands. “No. I mean. I broke it. I thought you could maybe fix it? I’ll pay for the labor and parts and stuff. Whatever’s fair.”

Dex looked at Nursey and then back to the cabinet, the horrified look still fixed on his face. “You should get a professional restoration. I’ve never worked on something this old in this good of shape.”

“But you could?”

“I mean, probably. The wood seems fine, it’s just the hardware that needs to be replaced. But I’m really not who you should ask. You should not trust me with this.”

Nursey smiled. “I’d trust you with my life, Poindexter.”

“Yeah, but that’s more easily replaced.”


	13. “Try harder, next time.”

“Try harder, next time.”

Nursey looked up from the dish of food that was somehow both burned and soggy. He was only hanging onto his chill by a thread and Dex’s words were not helping right now. 

“Try harder? I tried really hard, Dex. I just wanted to make this one thing nice. But it’s…” He trailed off and gestured at the dish.

“Yeah. That happens sometimes. You think it never happened to me? You think Bitty didn’t tell me about it happening to him? Granted, he was 4 when it happened to him.” 

Nursey managed a small laugh at that. “I just wanted it to be nice. And now everything’s ruined.”

“No it’s not. Just that dish is. But that’s doesn’t look like you were making it for yourself. So, maybe you should let the person you were making it for decide if it’s really ruined. If they like you, they’ll like you over pizza just as well.”

Nursey snorted. “Yeah. I’m just supposed to woo you with pizza?” He froze and stared at the congealing mess in front of him, waiting to hear Dex rush out.

“Try harder, next time. I like pepperoni and sausage.”

Nursey listened as Dex’s footsteps moved through the Haus and then jerked his head up. “Wait, there’s already a next time?”


	14. “Some people call this wisdom.”

“Some people call this wisdom.”

“Some people call this being a bore.” Nursey was pouting. He knew he was pouting. He had no plans to stop pouting.

“Some people haven’t sprained their ankle while lying down.” Dex wasn’t even looking at him. He was working on his homework. As though Nursey’s suggestion wasn’t even worth considering. 

“It’s perfectly safe. There are safety regulations. And you’d be there to protect me.”

Dex finally turned to look at him and Nursey gave him a winning smile.

“Nurse, there is no way in hell that I’m going skydiving with you. And I might not be able to stop you from going skydiving without me, but I will do everything I can to prevent that because apparently, I want you to stay alive for some reason.”

Nursey gasped. “You _do_ love me.” 

At Dex’s eye roll, he leaned over and stole a kiss.

“I promise not to go skydiving without you. But I will convince you to go skydiving with me.”


	15. “I thought you had forgotten.”

“I thought you had forgotten.”

“Which part? Your birthday? The fact you hate birthday kegsters because you feel responsible for everyone else? Or the fact that even the universe celebrates your birthday?” 

Nursey had grabbed Dex’s hand shortly after the kegster really got started and dragged him from the Haus, then across campus to the far side of the pond. Where it was about as dark as possible to get without driving out to the country. 

He was pretty proud of himself. A blanket on the ground, some wine and cheese in a basket. He dropped to the ground, not relinquishing Dex’s hand so that Dex had to follow. 

“I maybe did forget something though. Glasses. We’ll have to drink out of the bottle.”

Nursey didn’t need to see Dex’s face to know that he rolled his eyes. 

“Lush.”

“Maybe I won’t share my wine then.”

“I thought it was my wine. Isn’t it part of my birthday present?”

“Yeah. You’re right. One private viewing party coming right up.” 

Nursey lay down on the blanket to look up at the stars.

“Ok, when does the show start?” 

“Any time now. It’ll probably peak around 2 am. Sometimes there’s as many as 80 meteors an hour during the peak.”

“Why are there so many?”

“It’s debris from Halley’s Comet. They’ll show up over there, near Orion. That’s why it’s called the Orionid Meteor Shower.” 

“Chill.” 

Nursey’s eyes had adjusted enough that he could make out Dex’s profile, and he focused on it as Dex scanned the night sky for falling stars.


	16. “This is gonna be so much fun!”

“This is gonna be so much fun!”

Nursey was confused, but honestly, he thought that the confusion was merited. He’d never seen Dex this excited before. Focused and determined? Yes. Interested? Yes. Happy? Yes. Carefree? Yes, on one very memorable occasion. Excited? No.

The fact that he said this while shoving a hat on Nursey’s head and wrapping a scarf around his neck just added to the confusion. The fact that he then dragged Nursey out the back door and through a small wooded area to a frozen pond did not clear any of the confusion up either. 

But Nursey trusted Dex, and he was eager to see what would cause so much excitement.

“Ok. What are we doing out here at a frozen pond?”

“I’m going to teach you how to skate. Family tradition for all the cousins to play some shinny, and I claimed you for my team, so I gotta make sure you won’t embarrass me too badly.”

Nursey raised his eyebrows. “Two things. One, I already know how to skate. You know this. You’ve seen me do it. Many times. Two, we didn’t bring any skates.”

Dex rubbed the back of his neck under his scarf and looked down. The red in his cheeks might have been from the cold. Nursey could allow him that. “Uh, not all of my family can afford skates for all the kids. We pass them down and stuff as kids outgrow them. But the blades and boots don’t last forever. So, to be fair, we have one big family shinny where we wear regular shoes. It’s a lot more difficult. Later the cousins with skates will make a proper game of it. You’re on my team for that too.” 

“Poindexter, I’m always on your team.” Nursey flashed a sexy smile at Dex and stepped onto the ice. “Let me show you my moves.”

Nursey could admit that he was occasionally overconfident. Unfortunately, this was one of those times. He promptly felt his feet slip out from under him and the world tilted. He grabbed at Dex to try to stay upright, but still managed to land flat on his back. Dex landed on top of him a moment later.

Dex had his eyes closed and his brow was furrowed. 

“Whatcha thinking ‘bout Dexy?”

“Trying to figure out if it’s too late to trade you to the other team for my cousin Sam. She’s really good. Fast. Seven years old.”

“Bold of you to assume that I didn’t do that on purpose.”

At that Dex opened his eyes and fixed Nursey with a disbelieving stare.

“What? I got you right where I wanted you.” Nursey grabbed hold of Dex’s scarf and reeled him in for a kiss.


	17. “I’ll tell you but you’re not gonna like it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to [Chapters 13 and 14 of Takeaways](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16204484/chapters/38097992) (the Dex POV section of drabblefest 2018).

“I’ll tell you but you’re not gonna like it.”

Nursey leveled a glare at him. “Spit it out, Poindexter. Why are you missing easy passes that we’ve had down since frog year?”

Dex stared at some point over his shoulder and worked his jaw for a few seconds before speaking again. “I thought I had it handled. It wasn’t so bad when it was just regular school work, hockey and work, but with finals and this project, I can’t grab naps during the day like I used to. And it’s becoming more frequent, so I guess I’m not keeping up.”

Nurse blinked incredulously. “You’re telling me that you’re flubbing plays because you’re not getting enough sleep? You’re always in your bunk before me and I’m getting plenty of sleep.” He snorted a laugh. “What? Are you going to claim I snore and keep you up or something?”

Dex was still refusing to look at him and it was really starting to grate on Nursey’s chill, but Nursey was determined to wait him out. He had the moral high ground here and he was going to use it.

Dex’s hand was shaking back and forth and he took several breaths and swallowed before he spoke again. “When was the last time you remember having a nightmare?”

And, okay. This was a complete non sequitur. “Wha? Like a couple of months ago, I guess. What does that have to do with anything?”

“The last-” Dex broke off and swallowed before starting again. “The last time you had a nightmare was this morning at 1:53 AM. The night before that at 12:37 AM, the night before that at 3:41 AM, the night before that at 11:12 PM, and the night before _that_ you actually didn’t have one.”

Nursey lowered his eyebrows in confusion. “My nightmares disturbing your beauty sleep, Poindexter? Roll over and go back to bed. Seems to be working for me.”

Dex had his eyes close now, and his body was still, all the fidgeting stopped. “The nightmares stop if you’re not alone. If there’s someone next to you. Someone you can touch. But I have to make sure I’m gone before your alarm goes off, so I can’t sleep.”

Nursey took a half step back and blinked. “You’re wrong.” 

“No. I remember it all pretty clearly. Better than my homework.”

“I mean, you’re wrong about the nightmares stopping if I’m not alone. I still have them when other people are around. It’s gotta be-” Nursey stopped and licked his lips, letting his eyes slide away from Dex. “It can’t just be anyone.”

“Oh. Um. Ok.”

“So, thanks. And Dex? Go back to sleep, dumbass.”


	18. “You should have seen it.”

“You should have seen it.”

Nursey watched Dex’s face. His smile seemed tempered. Nursey wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in until Dex was leaning against his chest and shoulder. 

“I wish I had seen it. It sounds beautiful. You’ll take me when I visit this summer?” Nursey knew he was murmuring into Dex’s hair, but he was pretty sure he could still be heard.

Dex’s shoulders moved under his arm. “Of course. It just won’t be the same. The snow and the bay all riley, the way the ice cling to the trees.”

“Well, I’ll just have to go with you next Christmas.” Nursey held his breath. He was still amazed every time Dex agreed to cuddle. They’d agreed to the summer visit back when it was a friend thing. He was potentially crossing a major line inviting himself for Christmas.

But he hadn’t exactly realized that he wanted to spend all his Christmases with Dex until they’d been apart for this one. 

“It might never be like that again. I should have taken a picture. Jack would have thought of a picture.” 

Nursey closed his eyes and breathed slowing through his nose. Yeah, got too far ahead of himself. At least Dex hadn’t pulled away. 

“You’re gonna think I was exaggerating. Or stupid. So, I’m telling you now that I know it probably won’t look as good. No chirping if it’s a let down.”

Nursey felt his heart stutter in his chest. He twisted and brought a hand to Dex’s cheek to turn him and pull him in for a slow kiss. “There’s no way standing by the ocean with you will be a let down. And if it’s not as beautiful as you remember, we’ll just have to keep trying until it is.”

“Yeah.”


	19. “Oh please, like this is the worst I have done.”

“Oh please, like this is the worst I have done.”

Nursey stared at Dex incredulously. Worst is not how he would describe this situation, no. But the audacity. “You won’t let me buy you a five dollar cup of coffee, and then you waltz in here with a handmade roll top secretary desk and say it’s mine? And you think that’s ok?”

“I didn’t waltz. Ok. And it’s not like it cost me anything. My uncle lets me use his cast off wood and he had the stains and stuff. Really, it was just a project so he could teach me some new techniques. It wasn’t even about you. I just thought you’d like it.” Dex crossed his arms and leaned against the beds, glaring in defiance.

“You didn’t have me in mind at all when you made it huh?”

“Nope. Didn’t think of you once.”

“So, the fact that the hardware happens to be very similar to that of my smoking cabinet?” Nursey trailed his fingers over the wood of the desk, moving slowly towards Dex.

“Coincidence. Like, I said. Just used what my uncle had.”

“That’s a pretty big coincidence.” 

“It’s what made me finally think of you, actually. I thought maybe you’d like to have pieces that went together. But I guess if all the other rich people are doing the 'nothing matches' thing, then I’ll just give the desk to Chowder, or Whiskey. Maybe Bitty can use it to write recipes.”

Nursey was right in front of Dex now and they stared each other down.

“If you touch my desk, I’ll kill you.”

“No, you won’t.”

“No. I won’t. But I will be very very unchill and sad. And you’ll have to live with that knowledge.”

Nursey leaned in, so his lips were just a breath away from Dex’s. “I definitely get to buy you something now.” He smiled and pressed their lips together before Dex could reply.


	20. “I hope you have a speech prepared.”

“I hope you have a speech prepared.”

Nursey looked at Dex with narrowed eyes. “Why would I have a speech prepared, Poindexter?”

Dex rolled his eyes before responding. “In case you’re voted as the new captain?” He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like there was not only a chance that would happen, but a good chance.

Nursey snorted. “I suppose you have one prepared then?”

“Of course not. I’m… well, me. Guys aren’t going to vote for someone like me. I figure it’ll probably be you. Maybe Whiskey. But probably you. That’s where my money is, anyway.”

Dex just said that to him. As though Nursey didn’t know that he’d spent the last three years watching all their backs and working himself sick to make sure they were all taken care of. Like Nursey had forgotten that Dex immediately threw himself into finding Ford when Lardo said she still needed a replacement; had, in fact, volunteered both Nursey and Chowder to help distribute flyers.

“Yeah well, maybe you should worry about getting your own damn speech ready.”


	21. “Impressive, truly.”

“Impressive, truly.”

Nursey beamed and held out the bowl, his cheeks heating as Dex stepped closer. “Thanks. It was actually pretty chill learning how to make it. The guys were really nice.”

Nursey was possibly lying, but he was not about to admit that he’d been seriously afraid the whole time. He was just glad that Dex liked it. He knew there were a lot of faults in it, but so far, Dex hadn’t said anything, so maybe they weren’t too bad.

“Yeah. They’re great. You could have just asked me, you know. I’d have helped you.” Dex was standing very close now, his eyes flicking over Nursey’s face and body, but he still hadn’t taken the bowl that Nursey was offering him.

“I wanted it to be a surprise. I mean. Surprises don’t work so great when the surpisee helps in the creation.” Nursey looked at it again. The edges were all wobbly, and there was a spot where he’d gotten too close to the edge and there was an actual hole through it. But it mostly sat flat and acted like a bowl. “You really think it’s impressive?”

“The bowl is beautiful, Nurse. But I meant that you made it without any injuries.” 

Nursey lifted the bowl to throw it at him, but Dex grabbed it out of his hands before he could.

“No throwing my favorite bowl. You’ll break it and it’s irreplaceable.”


	22. “I know how you love to play games.”

“I know how you love to play games.” Dex was looking directly at Nursey and it was really soul piercing. “But quit playing games with my heart.”

Nursey couldn’t stop from gaping a bit as Dex deftly pulled the broken heart from Cavity Sam without even looking and didn’t hit the sides. “Cheater! Sorcery!”

Dex actually smiled briefly in response to Nursey’s melodramatic outrage, but then he leaned over the Operation board again to plan his next move. 

Which gave Nursey the opportunity to stealthily sneak the piece away from his pile and dig through the first aid kit that was kept in their room now. 

“Ok, I’ve got butterflies in the stomach.” 

“Me, too,” Nursey mumbled under his breath.

“Did you say something?” Dex was looking at his pile of pieces suspiciously. “Where’d the heart go?”

Nursey shoved the newly bandaged heart across the table to Dex’s pile. 

Dex stared at the piece and then at Nursey. “You put a Hello Kitty bandaid on it?”

“I, uh, I didn’t want you to have a broken heart. So, I patched it.” Nursey suddenly remembered that he hadn’t had his cuticles looked at in a while and started examining them. He already had the first aid kit out, so it was a good time to bandage himself if needed.

He looked up sharply as Dex’s hands framed his face, which meant he was staring directly at Dex’s mouth as it twitched into a smile before pressing against his own.

What felt like hours, but was probably only seconds, later, Dex pulled back. “I’m so glad this worked. If you hadn’t responded this time, I was going to die of embarrassment that you’d been trying to let me down easy the whole time and I just kept being more and more obvious.”

Nursey felt a laugh huff out of him. He was having some trouble parsing what Dex was saying, so he decided to buy some time by leaning in and capturing Dex’s lips again. 

A few seconds later he pulled back and tried not to burst into full blown laughter; he was sure that Dex wouldn’t appreciate it if he did.

“Dexy, Will, babe? Babe. Whatever you’ve been throwing down? I have not been picking up on.” 

Dex started to frown, which was the opposite of what Nursey wanted from this conversation, so he stopped it with another quick kiss. 

“I just decided it was time to make my moves more obvious too.”

Dex groaned. “We’re both idiots.”

Nursey tilted his head back and forth and then fisted his hands in Dex’s shirt, pulling him close. “Less talky, more kissy.”


	23. “This is not new, it only feels like it.”

“This is not new, it only feels like it.”

Dex was holding a bag out to him, so Nursey took it. 

“I thought we weren’t exchanging gifts, Dexy?” Nursey was eyeing the bag, a handful of crumpled tissue paper hiding the contents.

“Technically, I just said that I wasn’t going to buy you anything and that you shouldn’t get me anything or I’d be pissed.”

Nursey narrowed his eyes. “You’re always pissed though.”

“Not always. Just open it and then you can give me whatever you got me even though I told you not to.” 

“Who says I got you something?” Nursey started pulling out tissue paper while he talked. 

“Because I’m starting to suspect that you can’t help but do things that irritate me.”

Nursey was going to retort, but then he pulled out a long soft scarf. He couldn’t seem to stop rubbing his fingers over it. 

Dex stepped forward and took it from his hands, unfolding it and then wrapping it around his neck. “It’s made from alpaca wool. My grandmother’s alpaca. She taught me to dye and spin wool, and to crochet. This was one of my first projects. I actually entered it into a fair. Fifth place, got a ribbon.” Dex seemed to realize that he’d said more than two sentences in a row and closed his mouth, adjusting the scarf one more time before stepping back. 

Nursey grabbed his hand and held it. “Now I feel bad because I didn’t get you anything.”

Dex looked at him with eyebrows raised. “The last time you claimed that you got me a bespoke tailored suit and then called it gift wrap for a present to yourself.”

“Best gift wrap I ever bought.” Nursey grinned.

Dex didn’t return the smile. “So, forgive me for not believing that you’ve suddenly decided to respect my wishes about not being given things.”

“However, if you’re not doing anything tonight, when I bought myself a ticket to the Bruins game with a meet and greet with Tuukka after, they threw in a second free. And I’m not entirely certain that the restaurant that I have reservations at will seat me if I’m alone.”

Dex closed his eyes and Nursey wondered if he was about to be hit.

“This is why I have trust issues, Nurse.”

“Uh huh. Put on that gift wrap, ok?”


	24. “You know this, you know this to be true.”

“You know this, you know this to be true.”

“You’re wrong, Dex.”

Dex threw his hands up. “See? We can’t even agree on whether or not we can get along well enough to date. Pretty clear point in my favor.”

Nursey grabbed hold of one of his hands and laced their fingers together. “Listen, we can make it work. If we both try. Like, you can chill a little. And I can stop purposely trying to make you lose your chill. But I really like you, and I think you really like me too.”

“I do. But-” Dex stopped and seemed to deflate. “You’re fire, Nurse.”

“You like playing with fire.”

 

“But I don’t want to get burned.”

Nursey pulled on Dex’s hand until he stepped closer, then reached out to run his thumb along Dex’s cheekbone. “Fire doesn’t have to burn. It can be the warmth of a furnace. Don’t we deserve a chance? To see if we can be a hearth, a home, together?” 

Dex sighed as he leaned in to Nursey’s kiss. 

“You’re going to break me, Nurse. But God help me, I’ll let you.”


	25. “Go forward, do not stray.”

“Go forward, do not stray.”

“I know how to go through a haunted maze, Poindexter.”

“You say that, but last year you dropped behind the group and were lost in the middle of the actual corn field for three hours.”

Nursey waved off Dex’s statement and headed into the maze. After a few random turns, and a few encounters with zombies and demons, they came to a dead end.

“Ok, let’s try a different way. You know if we keep one shoulder always to a wall of corn, eventually we’ll find the way out, right?”

Nursey looked at Dex and considered. “Or, we just push through here and it’s a short cut.”

“Nursey! No!”

“Nursey yes!” Nursey knew it was too late for Dex to stop him, he’d already pushed through.

“Nursey, you’ve managed to get into an actual corn field again. How? How do you do this? Let’s get back to the maze.” Dex had followed him but turned to go back.

“Or you could realize I was just trying to get you somewhere dark and alone so I could kiss you.”

Nursey watched as Dex stilled, remaining outside of the maze.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. How ‘bout it, Dexy?”

“We could have just gone parking for that. Didn’t have to waste money on the damn maze.” Dex was grumping, but he was also turning back toward Nursey.

Nursey slid his arm around Dex’s waist and nuzzled in close to his cheek. “Kinda like the corn.”


	26. “But if you cannot see it, is it really there?”

“But if you cannot see it, is it really there?”

“Come on, Dexy. There’s lots of stuff I can’t see that’s really there.”

“Yeah? Like what?” 

“IDK. Like electrons and shit.”

“First, did you really just say ‘IDK’, Nurse? And second, other people have seen electrons. I mean. I haven’t seen a million dollars. Or even ten thousand dollars. But you probably have. So I believe it’s been seen.”

“Fine. Not electrons. But didn’t they find that other particle except not really, they just found proof that it has to exist?”

“The Higgs boson? I mean. They see the effects of it. So they can measure what it is.”

“Well, that’s not the only thing like that, yeah? So why not in this case?”

“So, you’re saying that love is like the Higgs boson, or like gravity. You know it exists because we can see the effects of it.”

“Well, I mean. I can.”

…

“Hey, Dexy. Thanks for fixing my cabinet.”

“No problem.”

“My chair’s been pretty wobbly. Would you mind taking a look at it?”

“Yeah. I can fix that, Nurse.”


	27. “Remember, you have to remember.”

“Remember, you have to remember.”

“Psshya. I always remember. I remember everything, Poindexter” 

“I find that very hard to believe, Nurse.” Dex refrained from rolling his eyes, but it was a near thing. 

“It’s true. I remember your birthday. And I remember your middle name. And I remember that you like smooth peanut butter, not crunchy. And I remember that when you’re laughing because you're really happy, your nose scrunches up.” 

Nursey stopped and gasped, his eyes wide. “I remember that you said you _like_ me. You kissed me!” 

Dex leaned his head against the door. “Yes, Nurse. I did. You said it too. It was a mutual kissing. Now, please focus. Where did you put the key card for the door?”


	28. “I felt it. You know what I mean.”

“I felt it. You know what I mean.” Dex tried to cut off any chirps, but of course, Nursey wasn’t going to let it go.

“You felt it, Poindexter? You felt the spirit move you?” He was smiling, lazy and loose. 

Dex glared at him. “Shut up. I’m serious. I felt something grab my butt. So, unless you’ve taken up a new hobby, I think Ransom might have been wrong. Ghosts might actually exist and live in the Haus.”

Nursey watched the furrow form between his eyebrows and smiled wider. Dex was undeniably cute when he was confused and doubting Ransom’s word on something seemed to be giving him quite the conundrum. 

“Chill, Dexy. It wasn’t ghosts.” Nursey lifted his book back in front of his face. He wasn’t hiding, he just needed to finish this passage for class.

“How can you be sure?”

“Look, it was an accident, ok? It’s not a new hobby or anything.”

He risked a peek and Dex seemed completely nonplussed, opening and closing his mouth. “So it’s not going to happen again?” Is what he finally managed to get out. 

And was Nursey imagining it, or did he seem slightly let down by that?

He decided to take a risk and shrugged one shoulder. “Not without full knowledge and consent at least.”


	29. “At least it can’t get any worse.”

“At least it can’t get any worse.” Dex is mumbling under his breath and probably doesn’t think that Nursey can hear him. 

So Nursey decides to make sure he’s aware. “Better knock on wood, Dexy. Before you jinx us.”

Dex probably rolled his eyes, but he was busy setting up his bunk, so Nursey couldn’t see. “How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not superstitious?”

“Until it’s believable, I guess.”

This time Dex turned to make sure Nursey saw the eye roll. 

But then he went back to putting the sheet on his bed and he leaned way in to get it on the wall side corners and Nursey never claimed to be a saint. So, yeah, he stared at the glorious hockey butt on display before him. 

“Thank the old gods and the new for hockey butts. Damn that’s a nice view.” 

Which, that was supposed to be inside his head. But judging by the way Dex’s head hit the slats of top bunk, he said it outloud. 

“Ok, I was wrong. It can get worse.”

Which, Nursey wasn’t sure how to take. Was Dex just physically incapable of taking a compliment? Did he think that Nursey was being pervy? Which, ok, was kind of valid but Nursey would keep a lid on it.

“Just because you somehow found out about my crush on you doesn’t make it ok to mock me like that, Nurse.” 

“What?”

But Dex was already striding to the door. 

And “Oh. Oh. No. Dex.” Nursey scrambled around the boxes he was unpacking and lunged forward to stop him. “I wasn’t mocking you. I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to say it outloud.”

Dex had stopped and was staring at him. But it didn’t look like he believed him. 

Nursey swallowed and tried again. “Hey Dexy. I kind of have a crush on you and if it wouldn’t be too weird, would you like to go out to dinner sometime?”


	30. “Do we really have to do this again?”

“Do we really have to do this again?”

Nursey looked over at Dex’s resigned face. “Yes. Poindexter. We do. It’s good for you. And, if you’ll recall, you actually enjoyed it last time.”

“No, I said I felt better after. That’s not the same as enjoying it. The process is pure torture.”

Nursey smacked his arm lightly. “Don’t make light of torture.”

“I’m not. Shoving things under people’s fingernails is definitely torture. Forcibly rearranging their muscles is too. Pretty sure. I’ll look it up on the UN website.” 

Dex pulled out his phone but Nursey grabbed it. 

“A spa day does not count as torture. Now, let’s go and when we’re done, I’ll make it worth your while.”

Dex looked up sharply. “The lumberyard? I was wanting to try out some new stuff with the lathe.”

Nursey blinked. “I was thinking cuddling, maybe some making out. But yeah. We can go by the lumberyard too.”


	31. “I’ve waited so long for this.”

“I’ve waited so long for this.”

Nursey wrapped his arms around Dex’s shoulders and pulled him back against his chest, pressing a kiss to his neck. “Really? I didn’t think this would be your thing.”

Dex twisted slightly in his arms to try to throw a brow furrow at him. “You know I like comic books. You promised not to chirp me about it.”

“Yeah, but. Wonder Woman? I figured you’d be more of a Batman kind of guy. You know, normal person, trains hard and uses ingenuity instead of powers.”

Dex wasn’t looking at him anymore but the eyeroll was audible in the way he scoffed. “Sure, I can relate so well to a fucking billionaire. He’s got a super power, it’s his bank account.”

“And Alfred. Don’t diminish the importance of Alfred.”

“And Alfred.” Dex acquiesced. “But Wonder Woman is inspirational. Like, she can beat anyone, she’s just that good, but she’s not going to fight unless she has to. She believes the best in people and she inspires them to be the best.”

“That’s really sweet, Dexy.” Nursey pressed another kiss behind Dex’s ear.

“Plus, I heard that there’s a nearly full frontal nude scene of Chris Pine. So-”

Nursey wasn’t sure how Dex was going to finish that statement because he had to pull away as he clutched his stomach to try to stop it from hurting as he laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> see me on tumblr @ [SexyDexyNurse](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And you know I live for that sweet sweet validation, so hmu on tumblr, kudos and comments are appreciated. 
> 
> Thanks for reading. I love y'all.


End file.
